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For Old Cowhands, How Close Is Too Close?

Three people on a yacht; the Bahamas; sexy skullduggery. That's the extent of the pitch for Columbia Pictures' "Nautica," a thriller in development that might bring the stars of "Brokeback Mountain," Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal.

According to studio notes about the film, Mr. Ledger has signed on, and Mr. Gyllenhaal is in talks, though for what characters isn't clear. But having taken the risk of playing gay lovers, should they pair up again at all, whether in straight or gay roles? Sure, the team of Robert Redford and Paul Newman entered the pantheon by teaming up for "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "The Sting." On the other hand, nobody's clamoring for yet another "48 Hrs." with Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy. Asked to assess the career prospects of a Ledger-Gyllenhaal duo, three Hollywood casting directors turned thumbs up, with reservations.

To Janet Hirschenson, who with her partner, Jane Jenkins, has cast "The Da Vinci Code" and "Poseidon," the question is: "Why not?" Ms. Hirschenson said both actors had futures as leading men, and working together again shouldn't harm either career. The potential pitfall lies in the script, she said. If the movie's no good, the partnership will end with "Nautica."

Avy Kaufman, the casting director of "Brokeback Mountain," echoes that thought. "As long as they stick with really great material and really great directors, you don't lose," he said. With "Nautica," the director is a question mark. Ted Demme ("Blow") was to direct and, after he died, in 2002, the job briefly belonged to Stephen Hopkins (HBO's "Life and Death of Peter Sellers"). But now the studio notes list no one in that important chair.

Laura Adler, who cast the forthcoming independent film "Hollenbeck" and NBC's "Four Kings," cites the stars' track record of on-screen chemistry as a plus in any future reteaming. "The only con," she said, "is that we've seen it already."

As for whether they're the next Redford-Newman or the next Murphy-Nolte, well, the casting directors agreed that moviegoers would have the final word.